The Town of Circle inherited its name from the brand of the Mabry Cattle Corporation who came here in 1884. It was common at that time for a ranch to be known by its brand rather than the company or major owner's name. In 1905 Peter Rorvik started a store and post office in the old ranch house and naturally name the Post Office "Circle". The little town catered to ranchers and farmers. When McCone County was formed in 1919 Circle won the county seat, an important factor in the towns growth. The Circle Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture is a voluntary organization created to meet and advance the civic needs of the community. We would like to extend our hospitality and welcome all new visitors to Circle and McCone County.

About Circle

Circle is located in northeastern Montana between the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers and 70 miles west of North Dakota. It is located at the junction of Montana State Highway 13, Highway 200, and Highway 200S. The 600 plus residents who reside here in this quiet, peaceful farming and ranching community are not only proud of their heritage but also of the services that the community can provide.

The Circle area offers a wide variety of activities and opportunities for all ages and interests. The Circle area is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream! Wildlife abounds – mule deer, white tail deer, antelope, prairie dogs, coyotes, grouse, pheasants and eagles. If fishing or boating is your passion, Fort Peck Lake is a nearby paradise; 60 miles northwest from Circle. The lake has 1,500 miles of shoreline, record-setting trophy walleye, northern pike, bass and even the prehistoric paddle fish. Other activities include: walleye tournaments, rodeos, hunting seasons, auction sales, dinosaur digs, trail rides, and dog trials. Winter activities include snowmobiling, ice fishing and cross country skiing.

The area experiences climate changes in each season. In the winter this area will generally miss the blizzards and heavy snow that pass to the south of us. The temperature is warmer than the Montana Hi-Line and cold spells are broken with warm chinook winds. The spring will have some general rains; the summers are nice with about four weeks of hot summer weather. Fall is beautiful, clear, warm weather. The air is clear and the sky is blue.

If you have the urge to visit a larger city, Glendive is only 46 miles east and Miles City is 90 miles south east. Within four hours you can be in Billings, Montana or Bismarck, North Dakota. Circle offers a small, safe community with medical services, schools, local shopping and unlimited outdoor recreation. The community is the hub for schools, local government, electricity, telephone, grain shipping, and farm machinery. The potential for economic growth, tourism and real estate appreciation is untapped.

Area Services

Circle has a Critical Access Hospital, which is also a home to long-term care residents and staffed by Certified Physician Assistants. Other health care services provided are laboratory, radiology, emergency and a clinic. Our community also has volunteer emergency medical services and fire department.The public school system can provide the advantages of a private school without the high cost. The classes are small, the teaching staff is well-trained, and the community is very involved in school activities. The school is an up-to-date center of learning; consisting of 3 separate buildings. There is a community college 46 miles east in Glendive and another that is 90 miles southwest in Miles City; both provide under-graduate classes, adult education and vocational education.

Circle is the county seat for McCone County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has its county offices in Circle. McCone Electric Cooperative provides electric power to 2500 members, with more than 3000 miles of line in 9 counties. Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative is one of the geographically largest cooperatives in the United States providing a variety of jobs and a variety of services to more than 25,000 members with 10,500 route miles of line which provides service to more than 35 towns.

The main economic driving force is agriculture. The area produces large quantities of hard red winter wheat, hard red spring wheat, feed and malt barley, feeder cattle and feeder lambs. A John Deere farm machinery dealership in Circle provides products and services to a large trade area. The Harvest States Elevator of Eastern Montana is headquartered in Circle; providing grain elevator services in Circle and also manages large 100-unit grain loading elevators in Wolf Point and Glendive. Circle has several active churches to provide a variety of religious services.

The community has a number of active community groups; including the Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, VFW, Community Club, Masons, Baseball Association, Art Club, 4-H Clubs, Boy and Girl Scouts, Rifle Club, Relay for Life, Quilters Guild, Rodeo Club, AAU Wrestling, Gymnastics and more.